Half to frank schroff



(Rommel.) E EL BERNARDS,

` HORSE DBTAGHER. No. 578,593. Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

. becomes unmanageable or in the event of a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. BERNARDS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOFRANK SCHROFF, OF SAME PLACE.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,598, dated March 9,1897.

Application led May 18,. 1896. Serial No. 591,894. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: v

VBe it known that I, HENRY I-l. BERNARDS, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Horse-Detachers, of which the following isa description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part ofthis specification.

The invention relates to improvements in horse-detachers.

The object is to provide an improved construction by means of which ahorse is readily detached from the vehicle in case the animal horsefalling.

The invention provides a positively-acting device whereby the traces aredisconnected from the ends of the Whifetree by a pushing force, whichinsures absolutely the disengagement of said traces.

The invention consists in the devices and parts or their equivalents,as'hereinafter more fully set forth. Y

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a whiffletreeequipped with my improvements, showing the rear ends of the tracesconnected to the devices at the oppo' site ends of the whiflietree. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of one end ofthe whfietree. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on theline 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 ofFig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 indicates the whiftletree. Theopposite ends of this whifiietree are reduced to receive thereon sleeves7 7, said sleeves forming parts of the detaching devices. As theconstructions at opposite ends of the whifiietree are duplicates of eachother, for the sake of convenience only the arrangement at one end willbe herein described.

The end of the sleeve fits against an annular shoulder 8, formed at therear of the reduced end of the whiffletree. Fixed rigidly in a recesstherefor in the end of the whiftletree is a rod- 9, the outer end ofsaid rod proj ecting out laterally from the end of the whiffietree.Adapted to slide on this rod is a plate 10, preferably of annular form.Connected to this plate and extending inwardly therefrom for a desireddistance, and resting upon the top of the rod, (preferably a flatsurface 9' formed on said rod,) is a rack-bar 11, said rack-bar workingin a recess 12 in the whiffletree. The rear end of the rack-bar hasconnected thereto a coiled spring 13, the inner end of said spring beingconnected to a pin 14, extending into a continuation of the recess 12.This spring normally retracts the rack-bar and holds the plate 10,connected to or forming a part of said rack-bar, against the outer endof the socket.

The top of the sleeve is provided with an elongated opening 15, andprojecting upwardly from the opposite side edges of this opening arelugs or ears 16 16. These lugs or ears are intersected by a pin 17,which pin forms a pivot for a toothed segment 18, said toothed segmentmeshing with the rack-bar 11. The segment is formed or provided with anupwardly-curved and outwardly-extending arm 19. The lower outer end ofthis arm is adapted to contact with the end of the rod 9. It isadvisably provided with a tongue 20, which ts in a slot 21, formed atthe outer end of the rod 9, whereby a close fit between the two parts issecu red and sidewise twisting prevented.

The opposite ends of an operating cord or strap 22 are secured to therespective arms 19 19 at the ends of the whifletree. These arms areadvisably provided with apertured lugs 23 for the convenient attachmentof the ends of the cord.

In operation, when it is desired to release the horse, all that isnecessary to be done is to pull on the operating-cord 22, which iscarried back into the vehicle in convenient position to be readilyreached by the driver. The pull thus exerted on the operating-cord willhave the effect of raising the arms 19 19, so as to free the outer endsthereof from the ends of the rods 9 9, and at the same time turn thetoothed segments formed at the inner ends of said rods, As the teeth ofthese segments mesh with the teeth of the rackbarsll, said racklbarsVwill be forced outwardly and the plates or heads secured to the ends ofsaid rack-bar will be forced outwardly on the rods 9 until they contactwith the traces 24 24. As the ends of the arms 19 IOO 19, as previouslystated, are pulled back from engagement with the ends of the rods theplates 10 will necessarily cause the ends of the traces to be pushed offthe outer extremities of the rods, and thus release the animal. Themoment the horse is thus detached the operating-cord can be released,and by the retraction of the springs 18 the rack-bars 11 are pulledinwardly to their normal position, and by reason of their meshing withthe segmental racks the curved arms 19 are brought back to their lockingpositions. As shown in Fig. 1, the eyes at the ends of the traces arepassed onto the rods 9, and Jthe extremities of the traces therefore,when engaging the whiiiietree, lie on said rods between the plates 10and the outer ends of the arms 19. They are therefore under normalconditions effectually prevented from working off the rods.

From the above description it will be seen that my invention is of amost simple character, comprising but few parts, little liable todamage, and forming an effective and positive means for releasing theanim al. It therefore reduces to the minimum the liability of accidentfrom runaway horses, and may be also used to advantage under many othercircumstances, as, for instance, when the horse accidentally falls; andin unhitchin g it Jforms a quick method of detaching the horse from thevehicle prior to taking off the harness and stabling the animal.

In the case of a double team the end of the thill or shaft could beprovided with some suitable method for releasing the neck-yoke from thetongue or thill in order to insure the complete detachment of theanimals from the vehicle.

What I claim as my invention is- In a horse-detacher, the combination,of a whiiifletree, a rod eXtendin g therefrom, a rack disposedlongitudinally of the whifiietree, a coiled spring disposed, and securedat one end, in a recess of the'whifletree, and having its opposite endsecured to the rack-bar, a pivoted arm having one end against the end ofthe rod, and its pivoted end formed into a toothed segment, the teeththereof adapted to mesh with the teeth of the rack-bar, and means forturning the pivoted arm on its pivot to free its outer end from the endof the rod, and to cause the actuation of the rack-bar, said rack-bar onits outward movement adapted to act on the trace carried by the rod, andpush said trace laterally off the rod.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. BERNARDS.

Vitnesses:

ARTHUR L. MoRsELL, ANNA V. FAUsT.

